Rajya Sabha was on Thursday adjourned for the day after paying tributes to sitting members Pyarelal Khandelwal (BJP) and Mahendra Sahni (JD-U), who died recently.
Soon after the House assembled for the Winter Session, Chairman Hamid Ansari led the House in paying tributes to both Sahni and Khandelwal.
Tributes were also paid to former member and former Union Minister P Upendra and Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, who died in a helicopter crash in September this year.
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Sitting member, Khandelwal had passed away on October 6, 2009 at the age of 80. Born in Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh in April 1929, Khandelwal participated in the freedom struggle and was associated with several social welfare organisations.
In the obituary reference to Khandelwal, Ansari said the veteran BJP leader made special efforts for uplift of tribals and farmers.
Khandelwal was member of Rajya Sabha from June 1980 to June 1986 and from June 2004 till the time of his death. He was also a Member of the Ninth Lok Sabha from 1989 to 1991.
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Sahni, another sitting member of the House, passed away on November 6, 2009 at the age of 69.
Born in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, Sahni was instrumental in resolving several disputes at the Panchayat level.
Sahni started his legislative career as a member of Bihar Legislative Council from 1994 to 2000. He represented Bihar in Rajya Sabha from April 2006 till his demise.